Powerful waves from former Hurricane Rachel tore apart sections of the Long Beach Peninsula boardwalk in Southern California on Friday, leaving at least one beachfront home on the verge of collapsing into the ocean. As Tropical Storm Rachel churned toward a rare potential West Coast landfall, officials warned the worst conditions may still be ahead.
Boardwalk Destroyed, Homes Red-Tagged
The powerful surf, amplified by the morning's high tide, slammed into coastal communities including Long Beach on Friday morning. KTLA's helicopter captured chunks of the shattered Long Beach Peninsula boardwalk floating out to sea as high tide hit shortly after 9 a.m. City inspectors red-tagged multiple buildings along the peninsula as unsafe to enter — including homes in the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk — with at least one home in the 6500 block appearing close to collapse into the surf. A large section of the protective bulkhead between 64th and 66th places was badly damaged, leaving a gap that allowed water to reach homes and side streets. Residents stood in shin-deep flooding, and vehicle access was closed at 62nd Place. "This is easily the most damage I have seen over the past couple of weeks," KTLA's Rich Prickett said.
Evacuations and Emergency Response
The city issued a mandatory evacuation for several blocks of the peninsula. Crews rushed to make emergency repairs, pump water off the streets, and fill the exposed bulkhead section with roughly 1,000 sandbags — part of 6,300 sandbags the city had distributed as of Friday morning. Utility crews inspected power lines, and workers cleared storm drains to help floodwater flow out. The area had already been battered by coastal erosion and pounding surf in recent weeks, and the remnants of Rachel worsened an already vulnerable shoreline.
Worse Conditions Ahead
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for Los Angeles County beaches through 3 p.m. Sunday, warning that damaging ocean flooding is likely along vulnerable south-facing beaches, particularly in Long Beach and Malibu. A high surf advisory runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, with waves of 4 to 7 feet expected, and high tides of more than seven feet will be common each morning. A tropical storm watch is in effect for all of San Diego County — only the second time such a watch has ever been issued in California. The storm system was expected to make a rare West Coast landfall near the California-Mexico border early Sunday, packing strong winds and heavy rains that could cause further destruction and coastal flooding.
Watch: High surf sweeps away Long Beach boardwalk, damages home — FOX 11 video of the waves battering the Long Beach waterfront and red-tagged homes.
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Sources: New York Post, Long Beach Post, MyNewsLA, Associated Press.